dual personalities

So the OM asked me on Saturday if I wanted a fancy coffee cake or what on Mother’s Day and I said what I really would like is a donut. So he said he would go to Dunkin’ Donuts on Sunday morning. What kind of donut did I want? I said I would like a plain cake donut or a cake donut with chocolate frosting.

So on Sunday morning he duly left the house at 7 a.m. to go to Dunkin’ Donuts. He came back with half a dozen donuts: 2 blueberry, 2 glazed and 2 chocolate cake donuts with frosting.

What? When I questioned him about his selection, he said, “Well, that’s what they had.”

Sigh.

Anyway, I went to church where we were celebrating our confirmation class kids who were confirmed two weeks ago down at the Cathedral. It was a nice service and afterwards there was a reception and cake. I gave my mentee one of my favorite Frederick Buechner books and to my surprise, she gave me a present:

A birdhouse that looks like a church! I was very touched. I’m sure Brigid and I will be lifelong friends.

The boy and daughter #3 came over for dinner. We bar-b-qued turkey burgers and drank leftover beer from my birthday party.

Good times and a happy Mother’s Day.

(The painting is by Wassily Kandinsky, 1909)

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May 7, 2016

News from across the pond

by chuckofish

We’re excitedly anticipating the return of Tim, son #3 soon (got the date wrong in original post). He has been in Edinburgh for the past semester, studying music and connecting to his Scottish roots.

This last week he attended the Cordiners’ meeting in Glasgow with his step-grandmother (and newly-minted Ph.D.!), Beverly. Following family tradition from way back, my DH and all three boys are members of the organization, which you can read about here. However, Tim is the first of this generation actually to attend a meeting. I gather he had a wonderful time and they seemed to like him. According to their website:

A highlight of the evening was the presence, and skilled performance on the piano, of Tim Melville, a visiting music student from New York State, who is a Fifth Generation Cordiner and who found himself installed as Trades Goudie for the evening, opening the Box along with Deacon’s Goudie, Dr. Natalie Pierotti.

The job of the Goudies is to open the Cordiners’ double-lock strongbox. As the website explains it, “The chests originally held the documents and money which belonged to the Incorporations. At least two keys were required to unlock the boxes, to ensure that the contents could not be stolen.” Nowadays, the opening is ceremonial:

Now, if he can just figure out how to pack all his belongings into a single suitcase, his guitar case (including the instrument), and a back-pack, he’ll be all set for the trip home.

Can’t wait to see him!! That’ll be a grand mother’s day present, indeed.

A Happy Mothers Day to all of you!

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May 6, 2016

“It is not enough to be industrious; so are the ants.”

by chuckofish

Today we note again the anniversary of the death of Henry David Thoreau in 1862.

Let us not forget these wise words:

The fate of the country does not depend on how you vote at the polls — the worst man is as strong as the best at that game; it does not depend on what kind of paper you drop into the ballot-box once a year, but on what kind of man you drop from your chamber into the street every morning.

—Slavery in Massachusetts

Hear, hear!

Have a good weekend. Happy Mother’s Day!

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May 5, 2016

“You can have my girl but don’t touch my hat”*

by chuckofish

Today is the birthday of John Batterson Stetson (May 5, 1830 – February 18, 1906), the inventor of the cowboy hat.

As you know, all the best cowboys have worn Stetsons.

So here’s some Lyle Lovett* to celebrate.

Have a great Thursday!

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May 4, 2016

Mid-week pep talk

by chuckofish

Henry and William James, brothers, early 20th century

“Now, my dear little girl, you have come to an age when the inward life develops and when some people (and on the whole those who have most of a destiny) find that all is not a bed of roses. Among other things there will be waves of terrible sadness, which last sometimes for days; irritation, insensibility, etc., etc., which taken together form a melancholy. Now, painful as it is, this is sent to us for an enlightenment. It always passes off, and we learn about life from it, and we ought to learn a great many good things if we react on it right. (For instance, you learn how good a thing your home is, and your country, and your brothers, and you may learn to be more considerate of other people, who, you now learn, may have their inner weaknesses and sufferings, too.) Many persons take a kind of sickly delight in hugging it; and some sentimental ones may even be proud of it, as showing a fine sorrowful kind of sensibility. Such persons make a regular habit of the luxury of woe. That is the worst possible reaction on it. It is usually a sort of disease, when we get it strong, arising from the organism having generated some poison in the blood; and we mustn’t submit to it an hour longer than we can help, but jump at every chance to attend to anything cheerful or comic or take part in anything active that will divert us from our mean, pining inward state of feeling. When it passes off, as I said, we know more than we did before. And we must try to make it last as short a time as possible. The worst of it often is that, while we are in it, we don’t want to get out of it. We hate it, and yet we prefer staying in it—that is a part of the disease. If we find ourselves like that, we must make something ourselves to some hard work, make ourselves sweat, etc.; and that is the good way of reacting that makes of us a valuable character. The disease makes you think of yourself all the time; and the way out of it is to keep as busy as we can thinking of things and of other people—no matter what’s the matter with our self.”

–William James, (January 11, 1842 – August 26, 1910), American philosopher and psychologist

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May 3, 2016

Happiness is…

by chuckofish

“For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet or excite you. Books help us understand who we are and how we are to behave. They show us what community and friendship mean; they show us how to live and die.”

―Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

I have a pile of new and vintage books to read.

What is better than that? A window with a nice view. Maybe someone bringing you a cup of tea or making dinner for you?

I guess I am getting old, but that sounds very good to me.

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May 2, 2016

Stir up, O south, the boughs that bloom…”*

by chuckofish

…Till the beloved Master come…”

How was your weekend? Mine was quiet and restorative, but also a little sad, since I was thinking always of the weekend before when so many people were visiting. C’est la vie.

I finished E.L. Doctorow’s The March, which, again I say, is so good and wise and well-written.

I did a little yard work, but it was pretty wet and rainy. It is certainly looking lush in flyover land.

I watched a few movies: Sands of Iwo Jima (1949), which I finally got my hands on…

(This film recreates the famous raising of the flag on Iwo Jima scene, taken on Feb. 23, 1945, by photographer Joe Rosenthal. The three surviving flag raisers make a cameo appearance during this scene . Rene A. Gagnon, Ira H. Hayes and John H. Bradley are seen with John Wayne as he instructs them to hoist the flag (Wayne gives the folded flag to Gagnon). The flag used to recreate the incident is the actual flag that was raised on Mount Suribachi.)

and Learning to Drive (2014), a little film starring Ben Kingsley as a Sikh taxi driver/driving instructor and Patricia Clarkson as a book critic whose marriage is falling apart.

Both supplied an entertaining diversion, but were not super great, if you know what I mean. Sands of Iwo Jima features John Wayne saying “Saddle Up!” continuously, so it wins as far as I’m concerned.

I went to church and was a reader–my passage was from Revelation 21 by John, the Revelator, so that was fun. The first lesson was from the book of Acts where Paul goes to Philippi in Macedonia and goes down to the river to pray and meets Lydia. All this made me want to watch O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) which I did.

It was a good choice. (And the last good movie George Clooney made.)

(This is how my mind works.)

*Gerald Near, Christ Has a Garden Walled Around

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April 30, 2016

Dance all night, play all day…

by chuckofish

I can’t believe a whole week has gone by since my epic trip to St. Louis to celebrate my dual personality’s milestone birthday! We certainly did party hardy (as they say), and I need to put a few special pictures out there to remind everyone of these glory days.

On Saturday morning, I visited my BFF, Laura, and her family in their new house, which also happens to be where she grew up and where the two of us had so many great times and big adventures (remember the easy-bake oven incident?). I had such a wonderful time that (naturally) none of my pictures are in focus. This is the one that came out best.

Laura is wondering what the cat is typing on her computer…

Later, back at party central, the birthday girl, siblings, and guests got up to many high-jinks. We began maturely enough…

No, I am not wearing white tights — those are my post-winter legs.

And after the party girl dealt with the cake,

we enjoyed catching up with old friends.

Then the party really got started. Girls just want to have fun…

We survived the experience remarkably well considering some of us are old people, and next morning we were chipper enough to take more pictures.

before saying adieu and heading our separate ways.

Thanks to my wonderful nieces (including my niece-in-law) for pulling it all together, and to my nephew for being awesome!

That’s it for my ‘party of the decade’ recap. Stay tuned for next week’s post in which we celebrate my DH’s 25 years in academia with a charming group photo in the local paper, a nifty certificate, and a flimsy, plastic gift. In the meantime, enjoy the beautiful spring weather and ‘Shake it up!’ like it’s 1981.

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April 29, 2016

“Heroic, is it? Bedad, it’s epic! Ye begin to perceive the breadth and depth of my genius.”*

by chuckofish

Today is the birthday of author Rafael Sabatini (April 29, 1875 – February 13, 1950). He was born in Italy, the son of an English mother and an Italian father–both opera singers, which explains a lot.

Sabatini wrote in English, and all in all, he produced 31 novels, eight short story collections, six non-fiction books, numerous uncollected short stories, and a play. I think I read Scaramouche way back when, but he is best known these days because of two great movies and a bunch of other not-so-great movies, which were inspired by his novels. I’m thinking, of course, of Captain Blood (1935)

and The Sea Hawk (1940)

both starring Errol Flynn and directed by Michael Curtiz.

But we mustn’t forget Scaramouche (1952) which starred Stewart Granger

and The Black Swan (1942) with Tyrone Power–

both not as good despite being filmed in flaming technicolor. (There are also quite a few old silent movies based on his adventure novels.)

Anyway, I suggest we all watch movies this weekend inspired by the stories of Rafael Sabatini. We could do a lot worse. I vote for Captain Blood which is full of action and good dialogue:

Arabella Bishop: Oh, forgive me for not recognizing you, Dr. Blood. You’re so changed… and for the better.

Dr. Peter Blood: The Governor tells me I have you to thank for that.

Arabella Bishop: You don’t sound very grateful, Dr. Blood.

Dr. Peter Blood: Do you suppose I’d be grateful for an easy life, when my friends are treated like animals? Faith, it’s they deserve your favors, not I. They’re all honest rebels. I was snoring in my bed while they were trying to free England from an unclean tyrant [King James].

Arabella Bishop: I believe you’re talking treason.

Dr. Peter Blood: I hope I’m not obscure.

Have a great weekend!

*Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini

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